Meanie's Excellent Adventure (22 February)

[cowboyz]

oh. and uploaded my photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lancebro...eanieAdventure

didnt get many cause forgot had camera and it was well packed. then I broke it on the way home right after the 100000k photo. Bugger.

[banditrider]

oh. and uploaded my photos.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lancebro...eanieAdventure

didnt get many cause forgot had camera and it was well packed. then I broke it on the way home right after the 100000k photo. Bugger.

Great write up & pics. I'm gonna have to get amongst it if I want to beat you to 200,000km!

[Monie]

The weekend was ok. I had some issues with some things that just come with the territory of group riding and are magnified the longer the ride is.
There are plenty of differences between riding alone and riding in a group. Many include when to stop, where to eat, pace or relax, making time, getting to places in X ammount of time when on your own you may just decide to get places later. When in a group you are either catching up or waiting. Then there is the competative riding where pace and passing get out of hand and you find yourself watching someone else cringing at their riding waiting for something bad to happen when they could be thinking that the pace is fine and have no issues at all with it. Really hard to get a group of riders to hold the same pace safely. At some stage there is a decision to stop,carry on, change route, go down this road or that, explore or not. When alone there is only one person to make a decision. In a group there has to be a concensus. It is not a negative thing it is just the way things are.

thanks for that it was nice to have mr and mrs cowboyz there and thanks for the compliment on my riding it is nice to have posative feed back form an experienced rider .I feel I have learnt a lot from watching some experienced riders and find the advice they give is very good as long as you are pepered to listen so thanks again

[ynot slow]

Sounds like a challenging adventure,only thing missing in the pics is the usual fine & sunny weather.

Good to see the bike still going well at the 100000 mark.

As you say regarding group rides and individual itinaries,they can be a pain,you want to stop there they want the stop here,etc.Maybe have a destination like you had,and go your own way to get there,maybe small group of 3 or 5 bikes.

The thing about bikes is you can only have max two people on them,hence trips can be a selfish thing, when a good size group happens it can be annoying doing long distance rides,as you have aluded to.

At least everyone returned unscathed,shame about the weather again.

[banditrider]

thanks for that it was nice to have mr and mrs cowboyz there and thanks for the compliment on my riding it is nice to have posative feed back form an experienced rider .I feel I have learnt a lot from watching some experienced riders and find the advice they give is very good as long as you are pepered to listen so thanks again

Good on ya - a great way to get to know your bike! Quite seriously, I've found that on the big rides I do (like the Southern Cross) you really get in a groove and the riding gets easier and smoother the more k's under the wheels - even if the old bod is getting a bit shot.

More power to ya!

[slydesigns]

Here's some of our pics.

For those of you with a fast link http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...view=slideshow

For those with a not so fast link http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t%20Adventure/

More to follow

[NZsarge]

Then there is the competative riding where pace and passing get out of hand and you find yourself watching someone else cringing at their riding waiting for something bad to happen when they could be thinking that the pace is fine and have no issues at all with it. Really hard to get a group of riders to hold the same pace safely.

I recall that I apologised albeit in a round about fashion for my brain coming unhinged for a short while going the the desert road, there was no excuse for my sillyness even though I tryed to at the time. I try to ride without pressuring or upsetting anyone most of the time while having my fun but for some reason every now and then stupidity seeps through. Again sorry to those who were following me at the time, it was a rash and unwise thing to do.
As for the "competitive" side of your comments I don't think there are to many of us MALE riders that have'nt circumed to that temptation from time to time.

[cowboyz]

I wasnt going to name names or single anyone out and there is the whole 3rd perpective thing. When 200 yards back (esp. over the crest of a hill) a pass that is perfectly safe and you can see over the hill can look very different from further back. Then there are passes that have dodgey written all over them. As I started to say, I wasnt picking on you or anyone inparticular, there was ALOT going on during the day. I admit myself to 1 very dodgey overtake on SH41 passing Phil I forgot how quick the 9 gets off its arse and run into a 65k corner at more than appropriate speeds and was all over the brakes on a bad line with a full laden bike and pillion. It would not have been a good site for those following me if the bike didnt stick to the corner. (it did BTW, but luck just doesnt last as long as judgement).
There were a couple of your passes I was cringing at, I am not going to lie or deny it, but quite frankly, there were ALOT worse things going on after you left.
It is just not something I want to be a part of and I am not going to stop anyone riding how they want to. If that is the way its going to go then so be it. Those who want to can get out there and enjoy it.
Mrs Cowboyz and I will be on the road somewhere else.

[Meanie]

Well, what an awesome week end. Things didn’t go quite as planned because Mother Nature chose this week end to dump rainfall onto the top of the north island and bucket loads of it. The ride up there was great with only a little rain on the road between Turangi and Taumarunui and a little more as we got closer to Ngatea. Stopped in Tiahape for a cuppa and Alister discovered bits falling off his bike that hadn’t been put back after a service. Taumarunui was our lunch break as we waited for Sly and Lissy. They had left late and were slowly catching up. The waiter there was a little entertaining as the discussion around the lunch table was weather we had a waiter or waitress. Definitely a waiter IMO. The trip from Taumarunui to Ngaruawahia was nothing short of brilliant with dry roads and lots of big sweepers to enjoy .
Got to Ngatea to be greeted by Sarah who had been in Auckland for the week, was good to see her there enjoying the fruits of Chris,s licquer cabinet
The loop was never going to happen in that weather so some left for home and the rest of us went to Hamilton for a wee play in the rain and a bite to eat
I had a wee mishap while leaving the parking area and ended up breaking my gear leaver and a few scratches on my fairings.
The guys at Road and Sport were awesome and did a quick repair on my gear lever and sent me on my way without charging me a cent Thanks Guys

[Meanie]

Woke up Sunday morning to a slightly better looking day and got prepared to leave Just as we are about to mount up Gary comes in the driveway. Seems he stayed the night in Hamilton with a friend
We went back a different way than planned to ride over some other roads that dogs had ridden before The roads were great and we did some good times even though we had to stop every 100 ks or so to change batteries between Yod and Nobras, Yods alternater was on the blink Told him to buy a Kwaka
Great to see cowboyz at the Waipa dam, hed only been there for five mins, talk about good timing. Got to Turangi in the rain after running a rescue mission for Nobras after he ran out of gas, I couldn’t believe that no gas station will loan a gas can, even with a deposit . Lunch in Turangi and back down the line over vinegar hill and home
A big thanks To Chris and Liz for their hospitality and making everyone feel so welcome
I am realy pleased with the way the week end went, even with the weather not playing ball. Chris summed it up when he told me that we any one of us were welcome back at anytime and was amazed at how we all got on and everyone helped out. So if any of you are ever up that way and find you need somewhere to stay the night you know where they are I enjoyed the company of old friends and the company of some now new ones
Thanks all for an excellent week end

Pics here

http://picasaweb.google.com/James.an...llentAdventure

[NZsarge]

Nice pics everyone.

[NZsarge]

I wasnt going to name names or single anyone out.



As I started to say, I wasnt picking on you or anyone inparticular

It's all good, did'nt really think you were Lance

( but luck just doesnt last as long as judgement).

He he...true.

There were a couple of your passes I was cringing at, I am not going to lie or deny it, but quite frankly, there were ALOT worse things going on after you left.

Hmm, I thought one of my passes in particular was pretty crook.......

My response to you post was only to put my hand up and say I was a dick, don't set out to be a dick but sometimes y'know I don't seem to be able to help myself...

There is no offence taken here.

[2up3dom]

I had ageart weekend even tho it wasnt planed thanx to Lizs daughter sarah for the lend of the clothes. Sorry i had to get my tits out going 130kms past the army boys on the way up but at least they moved out of the way a nice way to finish a bit of a bad week

[Monie]

I for one have to say this. The Little Red Ninga got there first I told u red was faster It just happened I was in third to last at the turn off to Ngata and no one else new the way and they were all parked up waiting for us so off i went it was a buzz a pitty the green kawaka was not there then i could of said i beat cowboyz [now that would of been nice ] so I can say I beat yod. the weekend was a blast and the company was really good .Dogs it was really good to follow you thanks for waiting. 2up3dom life is not dull when you are around you add colour and its nice. Bring on the next ride

[Meanie]

Bloody show off...........